Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

बाल्यात्प्रभृति यत्पापं कृतं वार्धकयौवने । प्रख्यापयित्वा तेभ्योऽग्रे लोकपालान्निमन्त्रयेत्

Transliteration

bālyātprabhṛti yatpāpaṃ kṛtaṃ vārdhakayauvane | prakhyāpayitvā tebhyo'gre lokapālānnimantrayet

Translation

बाल्यात् प्रभृति यत्पापं यौवने वार्धके कृतम्। तेभ्यः अग्रे प्रख्याप्य पश्चाल्लोकपालान् निमन्त्रयेत्॥

Word by Word

• बाल्यात्: from childhood
• बाल्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादानार्थ (from)

• प्रभृति: onwards; since
• प्रभृति: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भवाचक (since/from onwards)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done; committed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done/committed’

• वार्धक-यौवने: in old age and youth
• वार्धक-यौवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्धक (प्रातिपदिक) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in the period of old age and youth)

• प्रख्यापयित्वा: having proclaimed/confessed
• प्रख्यापयित्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+ख्यापय् (धातु; causative of ख्या)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), बहुवचन

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत; क्रियाविशेषण

• लोकपालान्: the lokapālas
• लोकपालान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• निमन्त्रयेत्: should invite
• निमन्त्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (procedural voice within Revākhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent devotee by the river confesses sins committed through all ages, then performs an invocation gesture toward the four directions, calling the Lokapālas to witness.

Characters & Entities

• Lokapālas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification begins with truthfulness—confessing wrongdoing across one’s whole life before seeking divine guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revākhaṇḍa’s tīrtha setting (Revā/Narmadā region) where rites for cleansing sin are prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Confess sins committed from childhood through youth and old age, then formally invite/invoke the Lokapālas.